1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly to a microwave oven having a toaster, in which slices of bread can be baked by means of a heater, so as to enlarge the entire utility of the microwave oven.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a microwave oven is an apparatus for heating an object by means of microwave. Referring to FIG. 1, which shows a construction of a general microwave oven, a heating chamber 2, in which microwave is supplied and an object to be heated by means of the microwave is put, is arranged in a cavity assembly 1, and the heating chamber 2 is opened and closed by a door 4, in the general microwave oven.
Further, at one side of the heating chamber 2 of the cavity assembly 1, which is the right side of the drawing, is arranged an instrument compartment 10, which contains various electric equipments for generating microwave and is covered by an outer casing 6. In the instrument compartment 10, installed are various components including a magnetron 12 for generating microwave, a high-voltage transformer 14 for applying high voltage to the magnetron 12, a blower fan 16 for cooling the electric components and forming an air-flow passing through the heating chamber 2, and the like.
Since the general microwave oven as described above utilizes the microwave in heating an object, it is improper for the microwave oven to perform as a toaster for baking bread, in consideration of the heating characteristic of the microwave. It is naturally preferred that the microwave oven, which is an apparatus for heating food, has a function capable of heating various kinds of food in various forms, so as to increase the usability of the microwave oven. It is more preferred that the microwave oven has, for example, a toaster function capable of baking bread.
In order to meet the above requirement, disclosed has been a microwave oven having a toaster function by a Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 1991-271630. In the disclosed Japanese microwave oven, a toaster capable of baking bread put therein is arranged at one upper side of an outer casing of the microwave oven.
However, in order to insert slices of bread, which are to be baked in the microwave oven, into the microwave oven through an upper surface of the microwave oven as does in the above Japanese microwave oven, a separate space capable of containing slices of bread has to be arranged between the cavity assembly 1 and the outer casing 6. In result, the microwave oven is disadvantageous in that it necessarily has a relatively large dimension. Further, it goes without saying that the construction of the conventional microwave oven does not conform to the current trend requiring electronic appliances, each of which is compact and has various functions.
In consideration of the conventional technology as described above, it is preferred that a microwave oven has an additional toaster function capable of baking slices of bread while it conforms to the current trend of minification in the dimensions of electronic appliances.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a microwave oven having a function of a toaster, which enables a user to bake bread even by means of the microwave oven.
It is another object of the present invention is to provide a microwave oven, which has an additional toaster function by means of heaters while sufficiently securing a heating chamber utilizing microwave, without increasing the entire dimension of the microwave oven, thereby having a compact appearance together with various functions.
In order to accomplish this object, there is provided a microwave oven having a toaster, the microwave oven comprising: a heating chamber, in which food is heated; an instrument compartment disposed at one side of the heating chamber, the instrument compartment containing electric components for generating microwave oven supplied to the heating chamber; a toaster casing disposed in front of the instrument compartment, the toaster having input ports formed at a front surface of the toaster; and a toaster section disposed in the toaster casing, the toaster section having at least a heater for heating bread.
According to the present invention as described above, since the toaster section is disposed in front of the instrument compartment, a separate space is not required, so that the microwave oven can have a toaster function without increasing the entire volume thereof. Further, anticipated is an additional advantage in the construction thereof, in that the electric power required by the toaster section can be easily supplied from the instrument compartment.
Further, the toaster door is disposed in such a manner that the toaster door can be opened and closed while pivoting downward and upward about a hinge shaft disposed at a lower end of the toaster door.
Also, the microwave oven may further comprise: a tray for seating bread thereon, the tray being disposed at an inner bottom portion of the toaster casing; and at least a cooperating lever for connecting the tray with a middle portion of a side of the toaster door, so that the tray is drawn forward by an opening operation of the toaster door.
It is preferred that the cooperating lever has a rear end connected to a spring, which is fixed to a rear wall of the toaster casing, so that the cooperating lever is elastically supported backward.
More preferably, the tray comprises sliding protuberances protruding laterally outward from both sides of the tray, the sliding protuberances being inserted in guide slots formed at side surfaces of the toaster casing, so as to guide forward and backward movements of the tray.
Also, the microwave oven may further comprise a flour collector disposed at a lowest portion of the casing, the flour collector having a shape of a drawer, which is horizontally inserted into and drawn out of the toaster casing.
The heater disposed in the toaster casing may comprise a core plate, on which heat wires are wound, and outer plates, which are disposed as to surround both side surfaces of the core plate. Also, the heater further comprises a plurality of guides disposed at outer portions of the heater, which are arranged in such a manner as to maintain the heater in a location spaced with a predetermined distance from the bread.